Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau is considering making changes in his lineup to try to create a spark. / Steve Dykes, US Presswire

by Alex Kennedy, USA TODAY Sports

by Alex Kennedy, USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls' goal entering this season was to win as many games as possible and stay in the playoff hunt until Derrick Rose's surgically repaired ACL was healthy enough for him to return to action. If the Bulls could remain competitive without Rose, they'd be a tough out in the playoffs once he was back in the starting lineup.

However, the team has struggled to stay afloat without their superstar point guard. Last season, the Bulls won 50 games with Rose in and out of the lineup, but they haven't been able to duplicate that success so far this season.

The Bulls are 5-6 and in third place in the Central Division and 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Chicago has lost to lottery-bound teams like the New Orleans Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets, and they've yet to beat a team with a winning record.

The Bulls are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, which is their first under head coach Tom Thibodeau. With the team struggling, Thibodeau has considered making changes to the starting lineup.

The players aren't sure if a new lineup is necessary, but they admit that something has to change.

"Those aren't things that I can control as a player, but to me, I don't think changing the lineup is going to make a difference," Joakim Noah said. "We got to execute better down the stretch, that's what I think."

Luol Deng said the players are in no position to question Thibodeau's moves after three consecutive losses.

"When you're losing, you see a lot of things," Deng said. "Whatever decision the coaches make or the coaching staff, as players when you're losing you can't really question that. If we're winning and they make changes, you've got the right to question that. But if we're not getting the job done, whatever changes are made you just got to wait and see what the result is."

"I don't think it's time to panic yet," Deng added. "We've got a lot of guys that want to win. We don't have any guys in this locker room that are dogging it. We've been winning the last three years, so this is something we're not used to. Whatever you want to call it, a slump or whatever, you're not going to get out of it just talking."

If the Bulls do decide to make changes to their starting lineup, moving Nate Robinson ahead of Kirk Hinrich on the depth chart might be the first step. During the three-game losing streak, Robinson has outplayed Hinrich, contributing 50 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four turnovers in 63 minutes to Hinrich's 11 points, 22 assists, four rebounds and 13 turnovers in 80 minutes. In the past five games, Robinson is averaging 14.4 points (.424 from the field), four assists and 1.8 turnovers while Hinrich is averaging 3.5 points (.263 from the field), 7.3 assists and 4.3 turnovers.

Regardless of who's starting, the Bulls need to improve on the defensive end. Thibodeau's teams have always been excellent on defense, but that hasn't been the case so far this season.

Chicago is allowing opponents to shoot .440 from the field (17th in the NBA) and score 94.1 points per game (ninth in the NBA) compared to last year when their opponents shot .421 from the field (second in the NBA) and scored 88.2 points per game (first in the NBA). They're also averaging 5.36 blocks per game (17th in the NBA) and 7.73 steals per game (16th in the NBA).

"The defense is not what it used to be," Noah said. "It's not where it was last year, that's for sure. We've got to do better. We just got to do better. Losing three in a row is unacceptable. We're better than that. We've just got to trust each other a little bit more on the court. We've got to play together a little bit more. We're a team that's always been great at executing down the stretch, and we're not in the right position. It's frustrating."

Rose isn't returning anytime soon, so this group needs to figure how to win without him. Otherwise changes are coming, either to the starting lineup or to the roster as the trade deadline approaches.

Finley Planning NBA Comeback

Last summer, Michael Finley spent his days training with NBA players and playing in competitive pick-up games. The former All-Star held his own against talented players and was confident that he could still be a contributor on an NBA team. Now, the 39-year-old is determined to make an NBA comeback.

Finley has been trying to land on a roster for quite some time. He showed up at free agent workouts as recently as last offseason and, prior to the start of this season, he tried to make the Dallas Mavericks' roster on a non-guaranteed contract but was slowed down by a minor calf injury.

Even though he has been working in the Dallas Mavericks front office as a special assistant to Donnie Nelson, he's still hoping to sign with a team this season, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.

Finley believes he could help a team by providing shooting off the bench as well as leadership in the locker room. Finley hasn't played since the 2009-10 season, when he came off the bench for the Boston Celtics (alongside Rasheed Wallace, who also made a successful NBA comeback this season, with the New York Knicks). Finley averaged 5.2 points in 15 minutes during that final season.

Over the course of his 15-year career, Finley averaged 15.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He was selected to the All-Star game in 2000 and 2001, and he won a ring with the San Antonio Spurs in 2007.

Ezeli Thriving in Golden State

Festus Ezeli was one of the most intriguing players during the NBA's pre-draft process. The big man was a late bloomer at Vanderbilt, averaging 10.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and two blocks during his senior season.

While he solidified himself as a solid shot blocker and played with a lot of energy in college, there were questions about how he would translate to the NBA. He wasn't a very good rebounder and he was often sidelined either with injuries or foul trouble.

The Golden State Warriors selected Ezeli with the 30th overall pick in the draft, planning to use him as a backup behind Andrew Bogut. However, with Bogut still recovering from April's left ankle surgery, Ezeli has been thrust into the Warriors' starting lineup as a rookie.

So far this season, Ezeli has started eight games for Golden State and averaged 4.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and one block. While Ezeli's stats don't jump off of the page, he has done an excellent job on the defensive end, shutting down opposing big men. Warriors head coach Mark Jackson raves about the rookie center.

"He is a big-time defensive presence," Jackson said of Ezeli. "Our starting center position was wide open with Bogut not being ready and he earned it. He earned it because of his defensive presence and also because of his professionalism. He's one of the first guys in the locker room and one of the last guys to leave. He comes back later and watches film. He wants to be a big-time player and he absolutely gets it on the defensive end. He has a high IQ and loves the game. He is my starting center [until Bogut returns]."

Ezeli wants to learn and has been taking advice from his teammates and coaches.

"It's impressive because he's an accomplished big man that listens," Jackson said of Ezeli. "He doesn't think he knows everything. Whether it's David Lee, Andrew Bogut, Carl Landry, the coaches or whoever that comes over and gives him a nugget, he pays attention to the details. He pays attention to the scouting report. He forces guys to beat him on our terms. He takes away guys' strengths and that's the first thing you have to do if you want to be a great defender."

"Festus has everything it takes to be a great defender," Jackson added. "Overall, I like his energy, effort and presence. You can tell he belongs in this league and he's going to play for us."

Ezeli has been everything the Warriors wanted and then some. Once Bogut returns, his role will diminish, but he'll continue to make an impact for Golden State as their second-string center.